Targeting TiVo Ad Skippers With Targeted Ads

from the and-now-a-word-from-our-sponsor dept

The struggle for advertisers to find a way to keep DVR users from skipping ads continues, with the latest great idea targeted ads. A company's developed some technology that lets advertisers display different information to different people on the fly -- having a national car ad show local dealer info for different places around the country, for example -- and thinks that they'll keep people from fast-forwarding. But how does simplfying the process of making these ads more "relevant" for advertisers translate to viewers stopping to watch them? After all, much of the editing that can be done with the new technology can be done by hand, and it doesn't seem to keep people from skipping over them. TV commercials compete for people's attention these days, and changing their content based on location or demographic won't change the underlying lack of interest most people have in them.

Reader Comments

No Subject Given

Targeted ads are only the begining. Wait until they start using them in overlays on the program it's self. Instead of the Station Logo watermarked on the corner of the screen, you'll get a scrolling ad across the bottom of the screen. The idea's been used before. Targeted advertising will only make it more desireable. How far of a stretch is it for your tivo to record your tv watching habits. mabey send back a 15 Character string of text letting the provider know you like watching a tech trade show on a paticual channel. Now dell computer ads will pop up. Order a pay-per-view movie, and Blockbuster video nudges in letting you know they have the other 4 movies in the series in stock at your local store. Push the action button on a satalite reciever or cable box's remote and get the entire commercial wich was downloading in the background before you even saw the ad. Like the shirt that actor is wearing, click here to buy now! This is already happening on select channels through satalite and digital cable providers (Time Warner, Dish Network). Give it 10 years and every channel will be the shopping network.

Re: No Subject Given

New ad record

New record Tuesday night for the longest ad block I've seen yet. During 'Rescue Me' on FX the last ad block was 10 thirty second ads. Geez, what kind of person will sit through five minutes of ad crap?

Tivo is a...

Re: No Subject Given

As soon as ad's don't get a time-slot and networks do switch to overlays and product placement in the content of the show, then hopefully it will then be ok to copy that content over the internet and onto DVDs again.